Nuria
by Jane Northcliff
Summary: Divergent in the future. New characters, but some similar names/ ideas. Comes after Insurgent: the factions fell, chaos reigned, but then order and the factions returned. My first story: please review! The factions: Nuria, Allayana, Kaia, Cascata.
1. Chapter 1

**Nikki**

The silence of the room is tangible, pressing on me from all sides. Nightmarish faces pop out from the dark, featureless but somehow familiar. I scream, so loud that I can feel the echo, sinking through. I wake with a start. I sigh with relief as I realize that I am safe, here at home in Nuria. We value fire, courage, drive. We are brave. I slide the heavy bedding off of me, and tiptoe to my dresser in my orange nightdress. I focus on fire in my head, and the lamps around me spring to life, flames licking the insides of the glass balls. I allow myself a small smile of indulgence. Turning away, I slowly begin to take my clothes out of my dresser and dress. Red jeans, fitted orange top. I swipe my thick ebony hair into a braid across my shoulder. A dab of orange lipstick and black mascara completes the required look for all the citizens. Squaring my shoulders, I place myself in front of the floor-length mirror for the Scan. As I wait for daily approval, I take in my appearance. Intense brown eyes, slick black hair, medium height. The sound of the buzzer smacks me back into reality. Pulling the etched-glass door to my room open, I slip quietly down the stairs, unaware that my life would change forever.

**_Several months in the future._**

_"Did you grab the gun?"_

_"What gun?"_

_"You idiot! The gun essential to our mission, the one we need to stun the girl."_

_"Oh right. That gun." He bent over and retrieved the gun from his bag._

_"Here you go boss."_

_"Larry, while I want you to know I'm in charge, you will need to call me Bryan for the time being, to avoid suspicion."_

_"You got it bo- Bryan."_

_"Excellent. Wait here. When the girl shows up, shoot her. Hide her here. I will have to search for the boy, but he loves her, and won't be too far behind. He's sharp, which is bad for us, but the girl will serve as a manipulative. Now, we wait."_

**_Back to the present._**

"Mom?" I call out uncertainly. When I reached our usually warm kitchen, all I found was darkness. I hear a sob. Spinning around, I see my little sister, Daphne, huddled against the wall. "Daph!" I run over to her and envelop her in my arms. "It's today, Nikki," she chokes out. "They took them away."

I know what she means. Every year, the factions designate a random day of the year to teach us to survive and be independent by some means. This year, our parents have been removed. I can imagine how terrifying this is for Daphne, but another rule on days like this is that I cannot help my sibling in any way. I give her one last squeeze then calmly walk away. I head to the store, where I purchase a muffin. I nibble on it as I walk down the street when I spot him. My heart flutters unsteadily, and I almost smack into the stop sign in front of me. Grumbling to myself, I stop and turn to look, okay stare, at him. Tall and muscular, with touseled black hair and piercing green eyes, the sight of him stops my heart. Tobias Finn, the boy of my dreams.


	2. Chapter 2

**Tobias**

I wake up to a gentle hum coming from the generator. I love to mess with mechanical things, so after my dad died in a car wreck and my mom ran away with the former leader of our faction, I lugged the generator into my room to give me something to do. I roll out of bed and dress for the day. I let my mind wander as I get Scanned, flicking through thoughts like surfing the internet. Thoughts of breakfast, my schedule, and mechanical parts whiz through my mind. The buzz of the mirror approving me to start my day wakes me up, and I hop down the stairs. I run outside, relishing the feeling of the fresh air on my skin when I spot Nikki, bringing me to a halt. Gorgeous brown eyes, thick jet black hair, medium height and curvy. The sight of her causes my heart to do strange things and my mind goes curiously blank. I catch her looking at me and our eyes meet briefly before I look away, my face red. I can't let her think I have feelings for her; it would only be dangerous for her. My life is somewhat unstable, what with the whole no parents situation, and no matter how much I want her, I can't let her get dragged into my mess. As I continue through our city, I notice a lack of adults and realize with a jolt that it must be Test Day. This one seems to be independence related which shouldn't be a problem for me since I live on my own. Comforted by that thought, I snag a bagel from the bakery and walk deeper into the city, Nikki Prior on my mind.


End file.
